Poet recalls childhood adventure
With her first full-length collection of poetry, “A Cruelty Special to Our Species” (Ecco, $25.99), Emily Jungmin Yoon takes readers inside the world of war, colonialism and sexual slavery. Born in Busan, South Korea, and currently a Ph.D. student at the University of Chicago, Yoon’s critically acclaimed work conveys lyrical beauty, even as it tackles brutal and political subject matter.
An edited version of our conversation follows.
Q: For people who have never been to your hometown of Busan, what would you recommend they see and do there?
A: Most tourists go to the glamorous beaches of Haeundae and Gwangalli, but I would also recommend checking out the quieter ones of Songdo, Songjeong and Taejongdae. They are beautiful and perfect for taking nice walks by the water.
Q: What was the first trip you took as a child?
A: We must have taken other trips within Korea before this, but my family went to Australia and New Zealand when I was 5 or so, and this trip is the one I can remember the most. I didn’t speak English back then, but I knew the phrase, “Oh, my God,” and kept saying it. I pronounced God as “gya,” because I thought that’s how it sounded. I remember my mother thought it was hilarious. We went on a helicopter ride and fed lambs. I was scared, so I held my milk bottle perpendicular to the ground, though my mom kept telling me to hold it at an angle. (We) swam and just had a fantastic time.
Q: If you were given enough money and time to travel exclusively for food, where would you want to revisit and why?
A: Tokyo, maybe. I had the best tonkotsu ramen somewhere near Odaiba back in 2010 or 2011. I don’t even remember what the restaurant was called. It was a place that I just stumbled into one evening. Even if I don’t find that restaurant, I want to go for the ramen, udon, yakitori, donburi, takoyaki, the desserts and sake!
Q: Where have you traveled to that most reminded you of home?
A: Vancouver, British Columbia, reminds me of Busan, because Vancouver also has the mountains, the ocean and the city. It also has a big Korean population and thus lots of Korean restaurants and stores. I love it. It’s a ferry ride away from Victoria, where I lived when I was in Canada, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Victoria is another home.
Q: Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?
A: I would love to visit Taiwan for the food and the shopping, but also nature walks and temple visits. I’m also interested in how Japanese colonialism might have influenced the city and townscapes in ways similar to and different from Korean ones.
Q: What would be your dream trip?
A: I usually prefer to go somewhere more urban, but right now, I would really like to go somewhere where the pace is slow, the weather is warm and the beaches are calm. I want to lie in a bed overlooking the ocean and read, take very long walks in the woods or on the beach, look at wild animals, go swimming and eat something scrumptious for every meal. I’d probably want to be busy again in a week, but this trip would be a dream. Where can I go to do this?